1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a customer management system, which performs customer management by utilizing a shopping container to be used exclusively for each customer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in order to perform customer management in a store such as a supermarket, a customer card with customer identification information recorded therein has been issued to each customer. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, known is a customer management system wherein a host computer 2 installed in back room etc. is connected to a cash register 1 serving as an accounting register through an inline cable 3, a card reader 4 is connected to the cash register 1, and a data base 5 consisting of a hard disk is connected to the host computer 2.
In this customer management system, there is provided a customer management file which manages customer information such as the name, address and the like of each customer, the sum total of settlement payment of the customer, etc. When a customer puts goods to purchase in a shopping container and goes to the cash register 1, a cashier requires the customer to show a customer card 6. On receiving the customer card 6 from the customer, the cashier has the card reader 4 read the customer identification information recorded in the customer card 6.
On receiving the customer identification information from the card reader 4, the cash register 1 transmits the information to the host computer 2 and makes inquiry thereto. The host computer 2 reads out corresponding management information of the customer from the customer management file of the data base 5 in accordance with the customer identification information transmitted from the cash register 1 and transmits the corresponding information to the cash register 1.
In this state, the cashier operates the cash register 1 to perform a process of registering goods which the customer is to purchase. When the process of registering all of the goods is completed, the cashier performs a settlement process to the customer on the basis of the total amount of money, receives money and then issues a receipt. In the cash register 1, the amount of this settlement is added to the sum total of settlement in the customer management information so as to update the customer management information. After updating, the cash register 1 transmits the updated customer management information to the host computer 2. The host computer 2 then updates the corresponding customer management information in the customer management file contained in the data base 5 on the basis of the received customer management information.
In addition, service has been provided to the customer by using the customer card 6 as a point card. That is, the cumulative points are also included in the customer management information managed in the customer management file of the data base 5, and service points are provided in accordance with the amount of settled money of the customer. The cumulative points are updated during the settlement, by adding service points to be provided this time to the points accumulated before. The cumulative points of the customer are indicated on a display for customers so as to inform the customer of his/her cumulative points. Assuming that, for example, customers can realize ten yen from one point. When the customer requests to use his or her service points, payment is made with the amount of money, which is obtained by subtracting the amount of money corresponding to the service points, which the customer intends to use, from the amount due.
However, in the system described above wherein the customer card is issued to each customer so as to perform customer management, customer management information cannot be updated if the customer forgets to bring the customer card with him or her, or the cashier forgets to ask the customer to present his or her customer card. In particular, when service points cannot be updated, some trouble may occur. In addition, with the system wherein a customer card is used, it causes some trouble for the customer to take out the card carried with him or her from his or her wallet etc., and hand the card over to the cashier. It also causes some trouble for the cashier to receive and make the card reader to read the customer card, and then return the card to the customer. Therefore, it takes time to perform a settlement process to one customer owing to this work. That may have customers wait for a long while, when the accounting register is crowded. As a result, there has been a problem in that customer service deteriorates.
An object of the present invention is to provide a customer management system, which causes no trouble to read customer identification information into an accounting register so that it is possible to read the information in a short time, and makes it further possible to perform a process based on the information constantly without fail.
A customer management system according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: means for holding customer identification information, positioned in a shopping container exclusively used for each customer; means for detecting customer identification information, which is positioned near a check-out register to perform a process of registering sales to goods contained in the shopping container and detects customer identification information held in the customer identification information holding means; and means for obtaining settlement information, which obtains settlement information at the time of performing the process of registering sales at the check-out register for each customer who is specified on the basis of the customer identification information detected through the customer identification information detecting means.
According to the present invention, it causes no trouble to carry out the work of reading customer identification information into the accounting register so that it is possible to read the information in a short time. Furthermore, it is possible to carry out a process based on the customer identification information constantly without fail.